a lifestyle blog for book lovers

Literary matchmaking. Personal shopping for books. Whatever you want to call it, here goes.

I’ve been tossing an idea around for a while and I think it’s time to out with it already.

People email me for book recommendations all the time, but it’s hard to recommend books in a vacuum. If I’m going to have any chance of picking a title you’re actually going to enjoy, I need to know what you love and what you hate.

So, let’s try something new. Would you like me to recommend a few books I think you’d enjoy?literary matchmaking, personal shopping for books

Then tell me in comments:

  1. 3 books you love.
  2. 1 book you hate (if that’s too strong, tell me one you felt “meh” about).
  3. the last book you read.

I’ll recommend personalized picks in a future blog post.

Comments are open. Go for it! 

P.S. Want to see if we have similar taste in books? Check out my 2013 favorites, the books I keep coming back to, and the books and reading archives.

207 comments

  1. Alison says:

    You. Are. AWESOME Anne!!! I’ve already added a lot to my ‘to-read’ list based on your recommendations, will definitely take you up on your generous offer 🙂

  2. Whitney w says:

    Love: Fangirl, Harry potter, the giver, hunger games, wrinkle in time, anything dan brown

    Hate: historical fiction

    Last read: daring greatly, and where’d you go Bernadette

    Thanks!!!

  3. Bea says:

    This sounds exciting! I’m looking forward to reading your picks for others (or for me 🙂

    Books that I love (which are all parts of series that I love)
    1. The Quilter’s Apprentice (Jennifer Chiaverini)
    2. These Happy Golden Years (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
    3. 44 Scotland Street (Alexander McCall Smith)

    A book that I wasn’t too excited about was The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. I wanted to like this book, but I think there were to many characters and literary references and I got a bit overwhelmed.

    The last book I read was Birds of a Feather by Jaqueline Winspear (and I loved it!)

  4. Loved:
    The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society
    the fault in our stars
    the hunger games

    loathed:
    The casual vacancy

    last read:
    Witches of east end

    currently reading the red tent if that helps

  5. Natalie says:

    Loved:
    Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
    Terrier by Tamora Pierce
    The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

    Didn’t like:
    Naked Lunch by William S. Burroughs

    Currently reading: Jitterbug Perfume

  6. Robin says:

    Loved: What Alice Forgot, Divergent, Maisie Dobbs books
    Did Not Like: Gilead
    Reading now: Bess Crawford series by Charles Todd

    I loved the recommended pairings of books post (I think it was on your blog).

  7. Beth Kensinger says:

    3 I love:
    Pride and Prejudice (too obvious?)
    Gaudy Night, and everything by Dorothy L. Sayers
    Crunchy Con Conservatives, by Rod Dreher

    1 I hate:
    Wicked, by Gregory Maguire

    Last I read:
    The Fault in our Stars, by John Green (which I avoided for awhile because it looked depressing, but which I loved! To quote Larry the Cucumber, ” I laughed. I cried. It moved me, Bob.”

  8. 1. LOVED:
    The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
    Love is a Mix Tape by Rob Sheffield
    Amazing Adventures of a Nobody by Leon Logothetis
    My Stroke of Insight by Jill Boyle Taylor
    (I know, I know, it’s 4. I can’t be trusted)
    2. HATED:
    A Confederacy of Dunces by Toole
    3. Cress (Lunar Chronicles #3) by Marissa Meyer

  9. Kim says:

    3 I love:
    1. Fresh Wind Fresh Fire, by Jim Cymbala
    2. Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers
    3. The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer
    3b. The Help (because I just can’t choose only 3)

    1 I didn’t like – but wanted to: Blue Like Jazz

    Last I read: Cost of DIscipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

  10. Ginger says:

    Oo, love this idea!

    Love: The Time Traveler’s Wife, Atonement, Into Thin Air
    Hate: Twilight
    Last Read: Quiet: The Power of Introverts (upon your recommendation)

    Can’t wait to see what you recommend for everyone!

  11. Kelty says:

    Ooh! fun fun fun. Thank you! I’ve enjoyed many of your recommendations since finding your blog last summer.

    3 more recent loves:
    What Alice Forgot, The Help, Under the Banner of Heaven
    Hated: Gone Girl (the story was addictive but in the end, I just felt incredibly icky)
    Last book I read: Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro

      • Kelty says:

        Wasn’t it wild?!? I loved Krakauer’s writing but I’ve stayed away from Into Thin Air and Into the Wild because I was afraid they’d be heavy and sad. Should I read them anyway?

        • They are fabulous. It’s the same sort of people living on the edge mindset as Under the Banner of Heaven. But with adventure thrown in. Krakauer could write about tree bark, and I’d be mesmerized.

          • Kelty says:

            Ha! I know exactly what you mean. The man is magic with a story. UTBofH read like a novel! Okay, you’ve convinced me with the other 2.

    • Kelty says:

      Okay, I’m adding an addendum just in case it’s helpful…I just finished “The Rosie Project” and loved it. So sweet and delightful. Also in the middle of “The Power of Habit” and I’m fascinated. A few weeks ago, I really loved “Bread and Wine” at your recommendation. REad it during my Whole 30, which was oddly informing and satisfying to read about people enjoying the things I couldn’t eat. Also made me really think about feasting vs. fasting vs. just fueling. Wonderfully slow and contemplative. Not my usual type of read but it was good for me.

  12. Deva says:

    3 that I love:
    1: Cheating, but The Circle of Magic books by Tamora Pierce
    2: The Journey is the Destination: The Journals of Dan Eldon
    3: The Mists of Avalon

    1 I hate: The Lovely Bones.

  13. Anni says:

    Three I love:
    1. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
    2. The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
    3. Girl in Translation, Jean Kwok

    One I didn’t like:
    Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

    Last read:
    Longbourn, Jo Baker

    And just in case it helps, currently reading (and enjoying):
    America’s Women, Gail Collins
    Quiet, Susan Cain
    Cooked, Michael Pollan

    • Sarah M. says:

      Wasn’t a fan of Great Expectations either, but Bleak House was awesome! The Masterpiece Theater adaptation was great too. Little Dorrit was excellent as well.

      • Anni says:

        I’m glad to hear I wasn’t the only one who was underwhelmed by Great Expectations. I’ll have to try Bleak House and Little Dorrit!

        • Amy says:

          Ok so Great Expectations was not my favorite either but I LOVE A Tale of Two Cities…I would encourage everyone to take as long as you need to recover from GE and THEN read ToTC with a fresh mind!
          It makes me sad to see people write off Dickens over GE, especially students who were forced to read it in school!

    • Katherine says:

      LOVED ‘The Time Traveler’s Wife’ as well! (The movie version wasn’t bad, I liked it, would watch it again, but the book was better.)
      Other 2 loves: ‘Here be Dragons’ by Sharon Kay Penman
      and ‘A Severe Mercy’ by Sheldon Vanauken

      Hate: ‘Beloved’ by Toni Morrison

      Just finished: ‘The Glass Castle’ by Jeannette Walls

      • Anni says:

        I haven’t watched the movie because I was afraid it would disappoint me – maybe I’ll have to give it a chance some time soon!

  14. Kim says:

    So fun! Thank you for doing this!!

    3 I loved:
    1. Bread and Wine
    2. To Kill A Mockingbird
    3. Confessions of a Shopaholic (probably should not admit to this being a favorite, but I thought it was so funny) 😉

    Hated: Can’t think of a title, but I dislike most Science Fiction

    Last Read: The Silent Wife, and The Rosie Project

  15. Karen says:

    Great idea! Thank you!

    Loved:
    1. Under a Tuscan Sun
    2. Crossing to Safety
    3. No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series

    Meh: Lovely Bones (just …. yuck)

    Last Read/Currently Reading and enjoying: Outliers, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, What Alice Forgot

  16. Love matching books with readers! Thanks for this.

    Three I love:
    Possession by A. S. Byatt
    Memoirs of a Geisha
    Wild

    Not a fan of: Bridges of Madison County

    Just finished : The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

  17. Nancy says:

    How fun!

    Love: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, The Red Tent by Anita Diamant, and Five Quarters of the Orange by Joann Harris

    Not a fan: The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

    Just finished: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

  18. What an awesome idea! I can’t wait to see what you recommend for everyone!

    Books that I love – To Kill a Mockingbird, Me Before You, Anything Jane Austen, and Bread & Wine (for non-fiction).

    Book that I wanted to love but was meh – Eyre Affair

    Last book I read – Blue Like Jazz

    • Molly says:

      I love Jane Austen (except Mansfield Park)! If you like romance with a light, modern (but not randy) twist try almost anything by Cecilia Ahern. My favorite of hers is Love, Rosie. She also wrote P.S. I Love You, and the book is much better than the movie.

  19. Becca says:

    What an awesome idea!!
    loved:
    An absolute favorite …Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
    Seven by Jen Hatmaker
    A Million little Ways by Emily Freeman

    Stopped reading Wild
    last read: the language of flowers

  20. Cate says:

    Loved:
    – The Sun Also Rises
    – Gurnsey Litereary and Potato Peel Pie Society
    – Wonder

    Hated:
    – She’s Come Undone (by Wally Lamb)

    Last book read:
    – The Storyteller

  21. Melissa loudon says:

    Loved: Unbroken, Wonder, the Guernsey Literary
    Hated: Gone Girl
    Last Read: Divergent
    Currently: The Whole Brain Child

  22. Marty Larson says:

    Love:
    The Harry Potter series
    A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
    The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

    Did not like:
    I know there are books I haven’t liked but they must have been so bad I blocked them.

    Last Read:
    Grave Peril -Dresden Files 3 by Jim Butcher

  23. Sheri Dacon says:

    I love this idea!

    Books I love: The Book Thief, Life of Pi, The Guersney Literary & Poto Peel Pie Society, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Jayber Crow, The Poisonwood Bible

    Book that disappointed me: Flight Behavior

    Last book read: Help for the Haunted by John Searles

  24. Heather says:

    Books that I loved:

    1-Until I Find You–John Irving (really anything by him]
    2-The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
    3-Harry Potter series

    Books that I don’t like:
    1-Anything by Jodi Picoult

    Last book that I read:
    1-The Spark

    I’m Currently Reading:
    1-Crossing To Safety
    2-Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun

  25. Jessica says:

    Oh my gosh, this is SO much fun 🙂
    Three books I love:
    1) White Oleander
    2) Cutting for Stone
    3) Unbroken (by Laura Hillenbrand)

    One Book I Didn’t Love:
    1) Paris Wife

    I’m currently reading:
    1) Paradox of Choice
    2) An Everlasting Meal
    3) Glitter and Glue

  26. Em Miller says:

    I absolutely do not need any more book recommendations, but I can’t say no.

    Three books I love: ‘A Year of Biblical Womanhood,’ ‘Girl Meets God,’ ‘Blue Like Jazz.’

    One book I hate: Recent reads I didn’t care for include ‘One Thousand Gifts’ and ‘The Women of Christmas.’

    Last book I read: I currently am reading ‘Going Clear’ by Lawrence Wright and ‘Strange Fire’ by John MacArthur.

    So… yes to feminist spiritual memoir, no flowery prose and I’m into the weird stuff. Good luck with that!

  27. Erin says:

    What a fun idea! Here goes:

    Three books I loved (hard to choose just three!): The Goldfinch, A Moveable Feast, One Hundred Years of Solitude

    One book I hated (despised!): Gone Girl

    Last book I read: The Fault in Our Stars (currently re-reading The Great Gatsby)

  28. Kirsten says:

    Love: Eyre Affair ( which requires a decent understanding of Bronte, Austen, and Dickens, for starters),
    Invention of Wings (just read), Guernsey Literary.

    Meh: Lovely Bones

    Now: Allegiant , Cuckoos Calling

  29. Shannon says:

    So fun!
    Loved: Anna Karenina, Rules of Civility, The Everlasting Feast.
    Hated: The Red Tent
    Last book read: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

  30. Sarah M. says:

    Chronic lurker commenting for the first time (I think), but it’s about books so I couldn’t pass up this neat opportunity. 🙂

    Hated: (a few come to mind, but most recent): The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling

    Loved (oh so many!):
    1. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen – classic
    2. Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart – “modern/20th century”
    3. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett – childhood favorite

    Recent read: True Grit by Charles Portis

  31. Love:
    Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
    The Homeschool Experiment
    The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

    Meh:
    Any book about coming of age, sisters becoming friends, children dying/being hurt, or illness. I feel like I have read all of those stories over and over. I am always looking for a fresh plot line.

    Last Read:
    Princess Academy (also loved!)

  32. Caitlin says:

    How fun! But way too hard to narrow it down!

    Love:
    The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
    To Kill a Mockingbird
    The Help
    Hunger Games, Harry Potter
    Jane Austen

    Strongly Disliked:
    The Tenth of December
    The Tiger’s Wife

    Recently Read:
    Pride and Prejudice (again!)
    Caleb’s Crossing (loved!)

    Currently reading:
    The Language of Flowers (and loving it!)

  33. Grace says:

    Aw, this is such a fantastic idea! I’m so excited.

    Loved: Eleanor and Park, Quiet, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
    Felt meh: The Icarus Girl
    Just finished: The Unbearable Lightness of Being (but I didn’t like it)

  34. So much fun! I’m so curious to see all the recommendations 🙂

    Loved: The Graveyard Book, Winter Sea, Quiet, anything by Jane Austen or Elizabeth Peters

    Hated: Wild by Cheryl Strayed

    Currently reading: Bread and Wine and the 3rd in the Mysterious Benedict Society series

  35. Ronna says:

    Three books I love is a TOUGH one, but here are three off the top of my head without thinking too hard about it.

    1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
    2. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
    3. One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

    I never liked The Awakening by Kate Chopin (of course, that was junior year of high school) or Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (again, that was junior year of high school).

    I am still currently wading through Anna Karenina, which I love, but I have very little time for reading during school, so I have yet to finish the last 150 pages or so.

  36. Whitney says:

    Love (with all my heart)
    1. Harry Potter
    2. My Name is Asher Lev
    3. Middlesex

    Hate:
    1. those historical fiction books about the wives of Henry the 8th

    Last read:
    1. Jesus Land

  37. Megan C. says:

    How fun! I can’t wait to see what you recommend.

    Books I loved:
    Thirteenth Tale by Setterfield
    Me before You by Moyes
    Lost Husband by Center

    Book that was Meh:
    Casual Vacancy

    Last book I read:
    Rosie Project.

    Thanks!

  38. Pauline says:

    My favourite books: Persuasion (Jane Austen), the Harry Potter series, the Outlander series
    I hate: most but not all poetry (it often feels very self-indulgent – maybe I’ve just read bad poetry?!)
    Last book I read: Stardust (Neil Gaiman)

  39. Emmy Cecilia says:

    3 books I love:
    – Anything Jane Austen (though I’m meh on Mansfield Park)
    – Anne of Green Gables series
    – His Good Opinion by Nancy Kelley (still Austen related)

    1 book I hate:
    – Angels in America, which is technically a play. Forced to read it in college and I hated it. Or anything heavy like Anna Karenina.

    Last book I read:
    – Completed: Pride and Prejudice; currently reading: Emma. As you can see, I’m stuck in an Austen circle and am looking for new things to read.

  40. Anna says:

    This is awesome. I’m looking for more novel ideas because I’m 8 months pregnant and just cannot match speeds with my usual histories and biographies. But I’m super picky about novels. So maybe you can help.
    Four books I love: Emily of New Moon, Hannah Coulter, Crossing to Safety, Less Than Angels by Barbara Pym (I like strong believable characters, a sense of place, and wit – they don’t have to be happy ever after)
    A book I felt “meh” about was: The Secret Keeper (sorry I know you loved it – I just couldn’t fall in love with the characters and I don’t like historical fiction and am not fond of mystery either)
    I recently read: Where’d You Go Bernadette (and I liked it – characters, sense of place, wit)
    So, suggestions???

  41. Jeannie says:

    Loved: The House of Mirth, Rebecca, The Remains of the Day.

    Hated: Death Comes to Pemberley.

    Meh: Where’d You Go, Bernadette.

    Just finished: The Fault in Our Stars.

  42. I love this idea. I want to steal it.

    I know you and I have similar (though not identical) tastes, but I’ll give it a go anyway:

    3 books I adore: Gaudy Night (and anything by Dorothy Sayers); A Circle of Quiet (and anything by Madeleine L’Engle); The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice

    1 book I put down because it was NOT working for me: The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

    The last book I read: Being Sloane Jacobs by Lauren Morrill – such a fun YA story. Currently reading Micha Boyett’s wonderful memoir, Found.

    • Anne says:

      My first thought was, “Katie didn’t like that book either!” But hey, it’s you. 🙂

      Found is on my pile. Starting it this week!

  43. Erica M. says:

    Ooh, we do that at work here on our Facebook page! It’s so fun. 🙂

    So, 3 books I loved: Something Red by Douglas Nicholas; White Fire by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child; The Tale of Hilltop Farm by Susan Wittig Albert.

    1 book I hated: Size 12 is Not Fat by Meg Cabot. Looked interesting on the outside but I couldn’t get past the second chapter. XD

    The last book I read: Island 731 by Jeremy Robinson.

  44. Heather says:

    This is such a fun idea! I primarily read literary fiction. 3 books I’ve loved recently are Bloodroot; Northwest Corner; and Mudbound.
    I wanted to like Flight Behavior, but I was disappointed in it.
    The last book I read was The Invention of Wings.
    Thank you for doing this! You are amazing.

  45. Quen Black says:

    How fun!

    3 books I love:
    – A Constellation of Vital Phenomena
    – The Snow Child
    – Jane Eyre

    Book I really disliked: Gulliver’s Travels

    Last book I read: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (audiobook narrated by Colin Firth :-). Last book actually read The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
    Loved The Goldfinch!

  46. Brenda T. says:

    Love: To Kill a Mockingbird, Unbroken, The Poisonwood Bible
    Book I Really Disliked: Angela’s Ashes
    Last Book I Read: A Woman’s Place (Lynn Austin)

  47. Rachel G says:

    That’s such a great idea!
    3 books I love:
    1. Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist
    2. Blink by Ted Dekker
    3. My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

    1 “meh” book:
    I couldn’t get into Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes.

    Last book I read:
    One Thousand GIfts by Ann Voskamp (SO good!)

  48. Kori says:

    Three books I love:
    1. Ethan Frome
    2. Hunger Games trilogy
    3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
    A book I hate:
    Crime and Punishment (and pretty much anything by a Russian author)
    The Last books I read:
    Oranges and Sunshine: Empty Cradles (interesting subject, didn’t like the book)
    Stolen by Lucy Christopher (liked it)
    The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (liked it)
    The Rosie Project (loved it)

  49. How fun! True, people ask me for recs all the time too but it’s hard to know what they like! I was so disappointed when two of my best friends in college HATED Saint Maybe by Anne Tyler, which is one of my favorites.

    I love about 6 million books, but here are some I read recently and loved: The Night Circus, The Fault in Our Stars, Family Pictures by Jane Green.

    I didn’t hate but have not been into like others are – Bossypants and Divergent/Insurgent/didn’t even read the last one because I don’t care. The last book I HATED but did finish was The Marriage Plot by Eugenides.

    The last book I read was Mrs. Poe by Lynn Cullen. I didn’t HATE it but I didn’t really like it very much either.

      • Yes, I probably should read Middlesex but I haven’t. And now I may be prejudiced against him for life. So are you going to post recommendations for everyone?! 😉

          • Amy says:

            It seems like there are a lot of similar likes/dislikes. (Also, so glad I’m not the only one that hated Wicked.) So maybe you could do several “If you liked… then read…” suggestions?

  50. Elizabeth says:

    Oh, this is fun!
    Loved books:
    1. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson
    2. American Savage by Dan Savage
    3. Just Babies by Paul Bloom

    Meh book: Bossypants (I love Tina Fey, but this was just ok for me. I abandoned it, but maybe I should have finished it).

    Currently reading: Notes from a Blue Bike by Tsh

  51. Ellie says:

    You definitely win the coolest blogger ever award. New books are kind of like a drug for me and I’m always looking for suggestions. Three of my recent favorites were The Best Laid Plans, Ms. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and Spy Mom. My hated title is Salmon Fishing in the Yemen. A rare case of the movie being more enjoyable than the book. My last read was Y, about a young girl growing up in the foster care system. Definitely a “meh”. Thank you!

  52. Katy says:

    Ooh, I love it! And so generous of you!

    Love:
    1. Anything by Kazuo Ishiguro
    2. The Book Thief
    3. Memoirs and biographies

    Couldn’t finish:
    A Casual Vacancy and Gone with the Wind

    Currently reading:
    A Million Little Ways, Quiet, The Antelope in the Living Room, and Walt Disney: An American Original

  53. Kristin says:

    This idea thrills me!

    Thr3e books I love: Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt, Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth, and The Secret Keeperby Kate Morton

    My meh book: The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

    The last book I read: Running Like a Girl by Alexandra Heminsley

      • Kristin says:

        I know! I had heard such good things about it, but when I read it, I finished feeling unsatisfied. I felt like the book wandered along with not a lot of purpose. I assumed it was heading to some great climax, but no such luck. It’s not like I expected a book about war to be all hearts and roses, but did expect more than what I got.

  54. RebeccaK says:

    3 I love:
    The House of Mirth
    The Sun Also Rises
    A Wrinkle in Time
    Non-fiction bonus: Beauty for Truth’s Sake

    1 I hate:
    Heaven is for Real. So, so, so bad in so many ways.

    Current/Recent reads:
    Acedia & Me (almost done – this is WAY up there on favorites now)
    Brideshead Revisited (loved)
    The whole Ender Series (loved)

  55. Kelli says:

    How fun is this! I already love reading the lists, and you haven’t even answered yet.

    I love lots of things, including A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson, Harry Potter & Anne of Green Gables, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson.

    Didn’t get into Wild.

    Last book I read was The Violets of March by Sarah Jio (and some fluffy “women’s fiction” – which I like even though it’s completely predictable. It has a nice feeling to it 🙂 )

    Curious about: Outlander and Divergent.

  56. Liza Lee Grace says:

    Three I love: The Goose Girl (Shannon Hale), The Book Thief (Marcus Zasak), Stardust (Neil Gaiman)

    One I hated: Wuthering Heights

    Last I read: Pegasus (Robin McKinley)

    If it helps, Quiet, Divergent, and The Fault in Our Stars are what I’m reading next.

  57. Pamela says:

    Books I loved:

    1. The Thirteenth Tale By Diane Setterfield
    2. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
    3. The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

    (I swear, I didn’t intentionally pick books that start with “the”)

    Book(s) I hated (two, because I can’t decide which I hated more):
    1. Where’d you Go Bernadette by Maria Semple (although I admit the mudslide was hilarious)
    2. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

    Last book I read: the Golem and the Jinni by Helen Wecker

  58. Charlotte says:

    Love this!

    Books I love: East of Eden, These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner, and Harry Potter.

    One book I hate: anything by Jodi Picoult

    Last book I read: The Stand by Stephen King.

  59. Erin says:

    Okay my three are:
    1. Brave Girl eating
    2. Code Name Verity
    3. The Rosie Project

    Hated Eleanor & Park. Couldn’t finish it. Just read The Midwife for book club, and am reading This is the Story of a Happy Marriage for myself.

  60. Jessica says:

    I am so excited about this – I have never been disappointed with one of your recommendations!
    Loved: Brothers K (David James Duncan) Cutting for Stone, Tell the Wolves I’m Home
    Disliked: Having a hard time with this…I did not love Julie and Julia
    Recently read: The Engagements, Outlander

    • Anne says:

      Don’t feel bad: you’re in good company with not loving Julie and Julia. Compelling concept, but Nora Ephron’s version was much more likable.

  61. Shauna says:

    From another chronic lurker:

    3 I loved: The Divine Conspiracy, The Faithful Gardener ( Clarissa Pinkola Estes), and Les Miserables

    Meh: Bringing Up Bebe (Pamela Druckerman)

    Current: recently finished The Still Point of the Turning World (gravitating toward grief books since experiencing a profound loss 18 months ago), currently reading (and enjoying) War and Peace. That one will keep me occupied for a while!

  62. Becky says:

    Loved: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson, The Fault in Our Stars by Green

    Disliked: The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

    Finished: A Sense of Wonder by Katherin Patterson

  63. beth lehman says:

    love this idea:

    love: eleanor and park, call the midwife, flavia de luce series by alan bradley

    meh: crossing to safety, gilead, a million miles in a thousand years (didn’t finish), beautiful ruins

    currently reading/just finished: tell the wolves i’m home, the birthing house, the signature of all things

    • Anne says:

      Oh, how interesting! You have books I love on your love andhate lists. Clearly, no slow, gorgeous novels for you. 🙂 Also, I need to read Call the Midwife!

  64. Shelly says:

    Anne, this is awesome!

    Love:
    Anne of Green Gables
    Bread and Wine
    Daring Greatly

    Hate: Gone Girl. ( the ending )

    Last Read : the One Thing

  65. Jennifer says:

    Love:

    Arena by Karen Hancock
    The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
    The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

    Hate:

    My Brother Sam is Dead
    Lord of the Flies

    Just Read:

    Crazy Dangerous by Andrew Klavan

  66. Sara says:

    Love:
    1. Jane Austen (Northanger Abbey less than the others)
    2. Anthony Trollope (esp. the Barchester and Palliser series)
    3. Milan Kundera (most)
    4. Dezső Kosztolányi, Skylark

    Meh:
    1. Marilynne Robinson, Gilead (beautiful prose, not enough angst)

    Loathe:
    1. Fantasy/SciFi

    Currently reading/Recently read:
    1. Sigrid Undset, Kristin Lavransdatter (like)
    2. Henry Fielding, Tom Jones (like)
    3. Khaled Hosseini, And the Mountains Echoed (like)

    I like mostly “realist” fiction with a dash of postmodernism thrown in–would like to read more good contemporary fiction!

  67. I’m so excited about this idea! But, my, you have quite handful of requests!

    Three favorites….
    Gone With the Wind
    Cold Sassy Tree
    Little House on the Prairie

    One I’m meh about…
    Ernest Hemingway anything

    Reading now…
    The Hunger Games trilogy (rereading, this time with my 12 year old. Love these!)

    Thanks bunches, Anne!

  68. Janice says:

    Love this idea ~

    3 that I love…
    Pardonable Lies (favorite in the Maisie Dobbs series) by Jacqueline Winspear
    Persuasion by Jane Austen
    Code Name Verity

    1 that I loathe…
    Catcher in the Rye

    Just finisher…
    Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

    Thanks!!

  69. Judy Quick says:

    All time fav. “To Kill a Mocking Bird”
    1st half of “Thorn Birds” I am convinced the 2nd half was written by someone else!”
    “On The Island” (I don’t usually read “Romance” novels, but this one is written by my niece
    Tracy Garvis-Graves. Her 1st Novel and it has been sold to movie people and part of the cast has been picked!! It really is a good story, the kind you are anxious to get back to!
    I also have to add “The Onion Field ‘s ” (husband was a 35 yr police man)
    LOVE mysteries and Historical! And young adult, I’m even known to stand and read a couple of children’s books while I am shopping!

    I know there have been many books I did not like but I don’t remember the names. haha

    Last book read “Book Thief”
    Thanks for your blog, I really enjoy it!! jq

  70. Jillian Kay says:

    Fun! This reminds me of one of those cooking shows when you get 3 ingredients and you have to create a 4 course meal.

    Love:
    Emma
    11/23/63
    The Power of Habit

    Gave up on:
    The Eyre Affair

    Reading Now:
    The Bicycle Teacher & Harry Potter and the Order Of Phoenix

  71. Kristin says:

    Love: Sense and Sensibility, The Cheerleader, and Anne of Green Gables

    Meh: Life of Pi (couldn’t finish it)

    Last book: Eleanor and Park

    • Sarah says:

      Three books I lived: Unaccustomed Earth, The Red Tent, Secret Life of Bees
      Book I didn’t like: Gone Girl
      Book I’m reading now: The Story of Beautiful Girl

  72. Kate says:

    Loved: 1. Cold Tangerines ( actually everything by Shauna Niequist)
    2. What Alice Forgot- Liane Moriarty
    3. The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern

    Meh: Girls In White Dresses

    Last Read: Say Goodbye To Survival Mode- Crystal Paine

    Current: The Rosie Project

  73. What fun to read all your comments– I adding to my “look for at the library list”

    Favorites (how can I choose just 3?!) :
    #1. Reason for God by Tim Keller (so very clear and true)
    #2. Distant Land of my Father by Bo Caldwell (Father & daughter Shanghai to Pasadena)
    #3. China Road by Bob Gifford (NPR correspondent meets people across China-insightful)
    #4. And the Mountains Echoes by Kahlid Hosseini (master storyteller)
    #5. Wild Swans by Jung Chang (memoir- 3 generations of women in China–absorbing)

    Sorry I cheated so I’ll skip unfavorite book

    Just finished reading– This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett (collected essays)

  74. Trish Bjorklund says:

    Books I love:
    1: Love Does – Bob Goff
    2. The Breath of Dawn – Kristen Heitzman
    3: Full Disclosure – Dee Henderson

    Book I never finished/hated – Jane Eyre

    Just finished – Pastrix by Nadia Bolz-Weber

  75. Amanda says:

    How fun! (although I don’t know if anyone could give this many recommendations!)

    I loved:
    -The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger (though I couldn’t get through Her Fearful Symmetry)
    -A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, by Betty Smith
    -David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens

    I hated:
    -Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte

    I just read:
    -The Orphan Master’s Son, by Adam Johnson (really enjoyed it)
    -Bossypants, by Tina Fey (funny, but “meh” on balance)

    • Kelli says:

      Oh, Her Fearful Symmetry… that was a strange one. It’s one of those books that I finished because I had to find out what happened, but I felt really strange at the end.

      • Amanda says:

        I kept looking at it, sitting half-abandoned on the end table, wondering, “So where is she going with this? What in the world happens?” And yet, I never cared enough to actually open the book and find out 🙂 I decided that meant I didn’t like it – or that I’m lazy!

  76. Amanda says:

    Oh, and is this cheating? My husband could use some book ideas; he wants to read more, but never knows what to look for.

    He loved:
    -Lord of the Rings Trilogy, by JRR Tolkein
    -Screwtape Letters, by CS Lewis
    -Ender’s Game, Orson Scott Card

    He hated:
    -A Separate Peace, by John Knowles

    He most recently read:
    -The BFG, by Roald Dahl (always a favorite for him)

  77. amanda fitz says:

    love:
    1. peace like a river — leif enger
    2. the husband’s secret — liane moriarty
    3. olive kitteridge — elizabeth strout

    hated: picture of dorian gray — oscar wilde (i never don’t finish books, but i had to give up on this one!)

    last book i read: by blood — ellen ullman (really good!!)

  78. Angela Smith says:

    I’m totally excited about this! I stumbled across your blog a month or two ago and have been loving all the book recommendations and ideas. I don’t typically comment on blogs, but a personalized book recommendation from someone I can tell has good taste? Yes, please!

    Love:
    *Anne of Green Gables (but who doesn’t?) and all things L.M Montgomery
    *Pride and Prejudice (again, a give in)
    *Jacob Have I Loved
    *The Giver
    *The Scarlet Letter

    Hate:
    *The Great Gatsby
    *The Old Man and the Sea
    *Island of the Blue Dolphins

    Just Read:
    *Drop Dead Healthy by A.J. Jacobs (really enjoyed this one)

  79. Laura says:

    Loved:
    The Book Thief
    Little Women
    Anything by Madeline L’Engle
    Harry Potter (but not The Casual Vacancy)
    Anything by Jane Austen
    Angela’s Ashes and ‘Tis

    Hated:
    City of Bones

    Meh:
    Non-fiction (except for memoirs. I love those).

    Most recently read:
    Between Shades of Gray
    Mary Poppins
    Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith

  80. Melissa says:

    First of all, just wanted to say that I just started reading your blog, and I love it!

    Loved:
    Cutting for Stone
    Time Traveler’s Wife
    Some Knows My Name (by Lawrence Hill)

    Hated (well, couldn’t finish)
    A Discovery of Witches

    Most recent:
    Where’d You Go Bernadette (I liked it)
    Letting Go of Perfectionism (by Brene Brown)

  81. Kelly says:

    Books I’ve loved:
    1. Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
    2. Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden
    3. The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James

    Meh: Cinderella Ate My Daughter

    Last book: The House I Loved by Tatiana de Rosnay/Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

    Currently reading: How to teach your children Shakespeare by Ken Ludwig; Becoming Josephine by Heather Webb; Homemade Winter by Yvette van Boven; My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor

  82. Susan S says:

    This sounds like fun!!

    3 books I love:
    To Kill a Mockingbird
    Lonesome Dove
    The Widow of Larkspur Lane

    1 book I hate:
    Twilight series (started to read because my daughter was reading – I couldn’t get past the first few pages)

    Last book I read:
    Home for the Homicide

    Currently reading:
    In Defense of Food
    The House Girl
    Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival
    Margin

  83. Pennie says:

    Love this idea!

    3 books I love:
    The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
    Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Melton
    Killing Lincoln by Bill O’ Reilly

    1 book I hate:
    The Position by Meg Wolitzer (didn’t capture my attention at ALL)

    Reading Now: Will the Circle be Unbroken? Reflections on Death, Rebirth, and Hunger for a Faith by Studs Terkel (Christmas present from my husbands uncle. My mom passed away in November. It’s actually pretty good!)

  84. Ashley B says:

    Loved:
    The Elephant Whisperer by Lawrence Anthony
    Bread and Wine by Shauna Niequist
    Divergent Trilogy
    Vampire Academy/Bloodlines series
    Hunger Games Trilogy

    Don’t Like:
    Anything Vulgar or Terrifying.

    Just Finished:
    Cinder by Marissa Meyer

    Currently Reading:
    Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
    Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
    The Longest Ride (audiobook) by Nicholas Sparks

  85. Carey says:

    Love:
    A Sweetness to the Soul (Jane Kirkpatrick)
    Pride & Prejudice (Jane Austen)
    The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)

    No LIkey:
    Love in the Time of Cholera

    Currently:
    Champion (Marie Lu)

  86. Kristal says:

    Three books I love:
    1. Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. Spunky and great. I love them all.
    2. The Thirteenth Tale, Diane Setterfield
    3. I Capture the Castle, Dodie Smith

    Hated: The Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes

    Just read The Last Enchantments by Charles Finch (SO great!)

  87. Gillian says:

    Love. This. Idea.

    Books I love:
    -The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
    -In the Belly of the Bloodhound by L.A. Meyer
    -By the Pricking of My Thumbs by Agatha Christie.

    Book I hated:
    -The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

    Last book I read:
    -Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence. Loved it!

    Thanks!

    ~Gillian

  88. As usual, you are the QUEEN of fabulous book blog post ideas! Love this! Here’s my lists:
    Books I LOVE:
    1) Walking On Water by Madeleine L’Engle
    2) Bread & Wine by Shauna Niequist
    3) Einstein’s Dreams by Alan Lightman

    Books I do/did NOT like: Don’t like most historical fiction, or sad, heavy fiction or memoir. (I need some redemption, and a fantastic narrative voice). I also rarely finish books I don’t like
    1) Left Behind by Tim LaHaye

    What I’m Reading Now:
    1) Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
    2) Still Writing by Dani Shapiro
    3) What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty

  89. candi says:

    Loved: Hunger Games (all of them), Pursuit of Mary Bennet, Mr. Darcy’s Little Sister

    Meh: Tomorrow River – the writer kept assuming I knew what was going on…I felt lost through the first half, skipped to the last 5 chapters and finished it.

    Last read – Pursuit of Mary Bennet, had me in tears in a couple spots. so good though

  90. Allison says:

    I’ve gotten so many great recommendations from you. Here are my responses:
    Books I love: Traveling Mercies (Anne Lamott), The Dovekeepers (Alice hoffman), The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
    Books I hate: Love in the Time of Cholera
    Last book read: New York (Edward Rutherfurd)
    Thanks!

  91. megan says:

    love: cutting for stone, my name is mary sutter, the dress lodger

    loathe: the spirit catches you and you fall down

    last book read: the diplomat’s wife

    thanks!

  92. Amy says:

    This is such a great idea. Are there any companies doing customized book boxes – like Stitch Fix but for readers? If not, you totally should.

    Here’s my list:
    LOVE (so hard to choose only 3) – The Poisonwood Bible, Redeeming Love, The Undomestic Goddess
    Hated – Wicked (wanted to like it, but couldn’t even get through it)

    Just finished – Wonder (Also in the middle of Jesus Is)

    • Anne says:

      I’d love to get a customized book box! Not like I need any more books to read, but it just sounds so fun–I wouldn’t be able to resist!

      • Mary D says:

        There is one–Just The Right Book. I wanted to get it for my SIL for Christmas but it was out of my budget. Maybe someday I’ll splurge on it for myself!

  93. Karenlynna says:

    You have pulled me out of my lurkdom.
    Loved:
    The Age of Miracles,
    1,000 Gifts,
    Happiness Project,
    Hate:
    Twilight
    Just Finished: The Rosie Project (on audio as you suggested!)

    I’ve added 16 titles to consider reading by just reading over the comments of everyone else! Must find more time in my days to read!!

    • Anne says:

      Welcome to the comments section! I’ve actually read and enjoyed the ones you loved, wouldn’t touch Twilight with a ten-foot pole, and you know I liked The Rosie Project. 🙂

      Happy reading!

  94. Emily Q-F says:

    3 I loved:

    Hunger Games Trilogy (is that cheating?)
    Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
    Jane Eyre (one of the only books I’ve read multiple times)

    1 book I hated:
    The Pact by Jodi Picoult

    Just finished: The Mortal Instruments City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (watched the movie & then wanted to read the book because the idea was interesting, but the movie was pretty awful; I enjoyed the book & it was a quick, fun read).
    AND
    The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (the writing was amazing and I liked the book-but it was very depressing.)

    I LOVE mysteries and have been reading through P.D. James after reading “Death Comes to Pemberley”. I thought “Cukoo’s Calling” by J.K. Rowling was amazing & I want more like that! James is good, but I’m mostly reading her early stuff & maybe should go to her later work.

  95. Theresa says:

    1. Books I loved:
    – The Hunger Games trilogy
    – The Abduction (Mark Gimenez)
    – Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen)
    – Looking for Alaska (John Green)

    2. Book I Hated:
    – Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn) – loved the idea and the writing style, HATED the way it ended. Felt like it was a cop-out ending and that I just wasted my time.

    3. Last book read:
    – Wonder (R.J. Palacio) – It was for my daughter’s school book club and I loved it!
    – The Rosie Project (Graeme Simison) – enjoyed it!

    I stumbled upon your blog and I love it! I have read a few of your recommendations (The Rosie Project and A Homemade Life) and have enjoyed them both. Thanks!

  96. Lauren says:

    Love: Little Women, Desiring God, The Hunger Games
    Hate: Great Expectations
    Last Read: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (I think this was a recommended read from you, and I LOVED IT!)

    Thank you! I think this is wonderful! I’m busy and had not ready anythng more than magaziines consistently until I had my last baby. I read while I nurse. She’s my #5, and I don’t know what I’ll do once she’s weaned!

  97. Mary says:

    Loved:
    All of Kate Morton’s books
    The Red Tent
    One Thousand Gifts

    Waste of time:
    Gone Girl

    Just finished:
    Sycamore Row

    Just started:
    Things That Matter

    Thanks so much for taking time to do this! Your work is appreciated. 🙂

  98. Shannon says:

    3 books you love:
    1. Hunger Games Series
    2. Anything by Jodi Picoult
    3. Anything by John Grisham

    1 book you hate (if that’s too strong, tell me one you felt “meh” about).
    1. Broke Heart Blues by Joyce Carol Oates (didn’t even finish it, and I HATE not finishing books!)

    the last book you read.
    1. Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

    THANK YOU!

  99. Jen Webb says:

    I LOVE reading and talking books. This is perfect! Hmmm. How do you narrow down the books you love? Ok.
    Love: The Thirteenth Tale, Harry Potter, Freddy and Fredericka, anything Jasper Fforde and Kate Morton. Persuasion and Sanditon. Also memoirs like Notes From A Small Island & A Year in Provence. Messy Spirituality.
    Hate: Gone Girl. Ugh. Just. No.
    Laste read: A Man Called Ove (advance copy), The Forgery of Venus, & Lets Pretend This Never Happened.

    • Jen Webb says:

      Whoopsie. Forgot to say that I also just finished THe Rosie Project. <3 and I'm currently reading Elenor and Park (which I love, like I did TFIOS), and A Tale of Two Cities -audiobook.
      Thanks so much! This is so much fun! I'm loving reading all if the comments.

  100. Jessica says:

    Since I enjoyed reading through everyone’s comments , I’ll add my own.
    My absolute favorite: 1) Bridget jones by Helen Fielding. all three are great, the second is my fave of the faves.
    2) Twilight . Love them all and their hokeyness.
    3) Daring Greatly.
    4) middlesex. Loved Detroit as a character, describing the times when my family was there.
    5) hunger games
    6) assination vacation by Sarah vowell
    7) me talk pretty one day by David sedaris
    Oh yes, also really liked ‘my life in France’ and so many more…
    Meh books: the book thief, a wrinkle in time,
    can’t stand: 17 second miracle by Jason somebody, shiver by Maggie stiefvater

    Reading now: notes from a blue bike, the greater journey by David McCullough, an embroidery guide, food and mood by Elizabeth somer, clutter free with kids, Labor Day, Eleanor and park,

    • Katie says:

      Based on loving Twilight and books with settings as characters, you would probably love the Caster Chronicles series. Beautiful Creatures is the first; there’s a pair of authors, one of which is Kami Garcia. It’s kind of reverse Twilight (mortal boy, supernatural girl) set in the deep South.

      Also the All Souls Trilogy, starting with A Discovery of Witches, by Deborah Harkness. Not YA, adds time travel to the vampire stuff, and both the main characters have powers (a vampire and a witch).

  101. Jane says:

    Such a great idea! Here’s mine:

    1. Love: Like the flowing River by Paulo Coelho, A praying Life by Paul Miller and Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore, What I talk about when I talk about running by Haruki Murakami
    2. Meh: White Teeth by Zadie Smith and Life of Pi
    3. Last read and current read: When we were on fire by Addie Zierman and Third Culture kids by Reken and Pollock

  102. Dee says:

    This is awesome!

    Loved: The Luminaries; Cutting for Stone; The Last Runaway; Kite Runner; Ten Thousand Suns

    Couldn’t Stand: Julie and Julia (I adore Julia Child but the narrator was so full of herself that i didn’t want to spend time with her)

    Last Book Read: Team of Rivals (love!)

    Thanks so much! Happy reading!

  103. Elizabeth Jungers says:

    I loved The Stand, White Oleander and all the Prey books by John Sandford. I hated Gone Girl and I just finished The Rosie Project: A Novel (which I loved)…

  104. Jenn says:

    So much fun!! I love reading your picks and have added quite a few to my to-read list.

    Love: The Book Thief, Rebecca, The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

    Didn’t like at all: Enders Game

    Last book I read: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (loved it)

  105. Faith says:

    Loved (Ones I do or would like to read multiple times): Beloved by Toni Morrison, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner, Bittersweet by Shauna Niequist

    Disliked: The Sun Also Rises, What Maisie Knew

    Last Read: Dust, the conclusion to Hugh Howey’s Wool trilogy

    Currently Reading: Reluctant Pilgrim by Enuma Okoro

    I like page-turners (especially fantasy fiction page turners), but also thoughtful reads about personal journeys.

  106. Joanna says:

    Loved: The Red Tent, The Living Blood, The Alchemist
    Hated: Lolita
    Last Read: From Rum to Roots (though it was a bit of an accident and before that I haven’t read fiction for ages!)

  107. Anna says:

    Well. It may be an age before you get to me, but I love the blog and I’m loving g your recommendations so far!

    3 books you love: Bread and Wine, Eat Pray Love, The School of Essential ingredients
    1 book you hate: currently popular and supposed to be great-Goldfinch. Literary fiction in general
    the last book you read: currently reading My Age of Anxiety, Creative Thursdays, Carry on Warrior. The In-Between

  108. Vanessa says:

    I am slow to finally comment here, but I am enthralled by the idea and am enjoying your matchmaking so far.

    Love: Lord of the Rings, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Space Trilogy and all other C.S. Lewis, Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte

    Dislike: Wicked

    Recently read: Emma (love it and needed a refresher because of Emma Approved), The Annotated Hobbit (epic happiness), Say Goodby to Survival Mode (good stuff). I always have multiple books going.

    Also enjoy: biographies/autobiographies, young adult and some Christian romance (like Chautona Havig novels) for a change of pace

  109. CG says:

    Books I love: Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Pride and Prejudice, Dr. Sleep by Stephen King, and Kiss the Girls by James Patterson (yes, I had to pick four).

    One book I hated: Justine (French lit. junior year…Don’t ask)

    Last book I read: The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

  110. kim s. says:

    Love this!!! I’m in a reading slump lately & would love some new ideas 🙂

    3 Books I Loved: Pride & Prejudice, The Uncommon Reader, Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Possession (I cannot leave one out!)

    1 Book I Disliked: The Language of Flowers (so much potential, then soooo much angst)

    Currently Reading: Notes From a Blue Bike

    P.S. I was so glad to see you recommend The Uncommon Reader to someone recently. It’s one of my all time favorites, and I never hear anyone talking about it. For you, I highly recommend Anne Fadiman’s essays…short, sweet, intelligent gems 🙂

      • kim s. says:

        Oh, you asked for it! 🙂

        I’ll also highly recommend Ann Patchett’s new essay collection This is the Story of a Happy Marriage: for anyone who loves insightful essays, beautiful prose, and books & writing. Divine!

        And since you seem to be an Anglophile like me, Susan Branch’s A Fine Romance is DELIGHTFUL. Read it in the warmth of spring with a glass of wine. 🙂

  111. Julia R. says:

    I am so intrigued by this idea!!!

    3 books I loved: The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton, I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella, and The Language of Fowers by Vanessa Deffenbaugh

    1 book I disliked: The New Countess by Fay Weldon

    Last book I read: The English Girl by Daniel Silva

  112. Katie Mc. says:

    I love this – so cool! Here are my picks:

    Loved:
    1. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
    2. Peace Like A River by Leif Enger
    3. all Emily Giffin’s books
    4. The End of the Affair by Graham Greene

    Hated:
    1. The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
    2. Summerland by Elin Hildebrand
    3. Runaway by Alice Munro

    Last books I read:
    1. The Wind Is Not A River by Brian Payton
    2. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
    3. Sick Heart River by John Buchan

  113. Sarah says:

    Love: Outlander, Harry Potter, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
    Hate: The Time Traveler’s Wife
    Recent reads: Ignite Me (kind of mindless YA dystopian romance; not as good as the first 2 in the trilogy but still 3 stars from me), the first 4 Betsy-Tacy books (re-read, LOVE), Call the Midwife (loved)

  114. Kim says:

    Love: The Help (Stockett), The Red Tent (Diamant), The Paradise Guest House (Sussman), The Fault in Our Stars (Green), It Happens Every Spring (Chapman)
    There are too many good ones, it is hard to decide!!!

    Hate: A Secret Kept (Rosnay)

    Last Read: Labor Day (Maynard) and I enjoyed it.

    I also like series, I am a sucker for Janet Evanovich!

  115. Dana W says:

    This is a great project! Here are my answers:

    1. Love: Catch Me If You Can, The Kite Runner, anything by Rainbow Rowell, The Engagements (by Courtney Sullivan), The Other Boleyn Girl
    2. Meh: The Lord of the Rings series (I read all of them and just couldn’t get into it) and The Cider House Rules
    3. The last book you read: Attachments by Rainbow Rowell & Mrs. Lincoln’s Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini

  116. I love your blog, and especially love the book recommendations!

    Three books I love:
    To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
    Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
    The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkein

    One I hate:
    Twilight….I just couldn’t get into it.

    Just read:
    Fangirl by Rainbow Rowel and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Doyle.

  117. Delphine says:

    Hi! I know it’s late but I’ve been reading these posts and loving them.

    Three books I loved: The Red Tent, The Remains of the Day, The Shadow of the Sun.

    One book I hated: The book that still haunts me from high school – Lord of the Flies.

    I already mentioned the last book I read (Red Tent), so I’ll give you the one I’m reading now: Meditations by Marcus Aurelius.

    Yayy!

  118. XYZ says:

    Hello,

    I remember having answered here in the comments in February, and I did receive a few followup comments in my email, but now both my comment and the followup comments have disappeared! I will answer again, then.

    3 books you love:
    1) Small is Beautiful
    2) Uglies (recently read, wasn’t in my previous answer)
    3) 1984 (I remember I answered differently at the time, but I am now on a dystopia phase, though I would gladly read something lighter too)

    1 book you hate
    1) The Celestine Prophecy (couldn’t finish reading it even though a coworker recommended it to me)
    the last book you read.
    The last 3:
    1) Cryer’s Cross
    2) The Rosie Project
    3) Uglies

    • Anne says:

      I’m so sorry about that! That’s not at all usual. I need to manually restore about 15 comments that were left on the blog during the eight-hour window my hosting was being transferred. I got the email notifications, so I have them, but the comments themselves were lost in cyberspace. I just haven’t gotten around to doing it yet (sheepish here). But it shouldn’t happen again!

      • XYZ says:

        It’s OK. I’m actually curious for what were my previous answers 🙂

        Anyway, I am not really sure about 1984 on last answer. Maybe “Brand New World” in the dystopia line, though I am usually not in such a dystopia mood as lately…

  119. Courtney says:

    LOVED: To Kill a Mockingbird, all the Harry Potter books, everything Little House on the Prairie, and Ferrol Sams’ trilogy about Porter Osbourn Jr. (Run with the Horseman, the Whisper of the River, When All the World was Young), The Montmoray Journals trilogy
    Felt “meh” about: Care of Wooden Floors, The Casual Vacancy, The Historian
    Put down: The Hatbox Baby
    Hated: Heart of Darkness
    Last Read: Where’d You Go Bernadette

    Way more than you asked for but my taste in books is complex. Also, how do you just pick 3 favorites?!

    • Quen says:

      I just finished Heart of Darkness yesterday and I agree. I don’t know if I would have finished it if it wasn’t for my book club! Glad to hear I’m not the only one.

      • Courtney says:

        I read it my senior year of high school, then had to read it 6 months later for my first Literature class in college. So twice in one year. My more literary minded friends were all “It’s great, there’s so much symbolism etc.” And I see the symbolism but that doesn’t make it worth reading twice!

  120. Ilana says:

    I’m always looking for new books to read…

    Loved:

    Dragonflight by Anne McCaffery
    Utopia by Sir Thomas Moore
    The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

    Didn’t Like:

    Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

    Reading (and loving it):

    Peacemaker by CJ Cherryh

  121. Andi says:

    What a lovely idea!!

    Loves:
    Harry Potter
    Hunt for Red October
    Poisonwood Bible
    The Book Thief
    The Alchemist
    To Kill a Mockingbird
    Old Man and the Sea
    Gone Girl
    Ender’s Game
    Wonder
    Guests of the Ayatollah

    Hates:
    Gatsby (I just HATE Daisy)
    Anything by either Bronte

    Recent reads:
    Wonder
    Cuckoo’s Calling
    Prodigy

  122. I’ve been a little scarce online for a while but if it’s not too late, I’d love to play!

    Books I’ve loved – Persuasion, The Book Thief, Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda, Let Me Be a Woman

    Book I Hated – Eat Pray Love

    Last Book I Read (that wasn’t a baby book) – How Sweet the Sound by Amy Sorrells

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